Cleaning vehicle for cleaning ballast of a track

ABSTRACT

A cleaning vehicle ( 1 ) for cleaning ballast ( 2 ) of a track ( 4 ) with a rail vehicle ( 10 ) has a screening installation ( 15 ) provided for the ballast cleaning. A gantry crane ( 6 ) mobile on the rail vehicle ( 10 ) via crane rails ( 8 ) in a longitudinal direction ( 7 ) of the vehicle is provided for the transport of the ballast ( 2 ) stored in containers ( 11 ). Forming a discharge station ( 12 ) for discharging the soiled ballast ( 2 ), a receiving end ( 13 ) of a first conveyor belt ( 14 ) is provided, the latter having a discharge end ( 16 ) positioned above the screening installation ( 15 ). Forming a loading station ( 17 ) for discharging the cleaned ballast ( 2 ) into an empty container ( 11 ), a discharge end ( 18 ) of a second conveyor belt ( 19 ) is provided, the receiving end ( 20 ) of which is associated with an outlet opening ( 21 ) of the screening installation ( 15 ).

The invention relates to a cleaning vehicle for cleaning ballast of atrack, including a rail vehicle and a screening installation providedfor ballast cleaning, and to a method.

Vehicles of this type are known from AT 351 584 or AT 373 833. Spoildischarged by the cleaning vehicle is stored in containers which aredeposited with the aid of a gantry crane on loading areas of railvehicles.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a cleaning vehicleand a method of the kind mentioned at the beginning with which asimplified cleaning of ballast is possible.

According to the invention, this object is achieved with a cleaningvehicle as well as with a method of the specified type by way of thefeatures cited in the characterizing part of claim 1 or 5, respectively.

By way of the features according to the invention, a structurallyrelatively simple cleaning of ballast can be achieved, wherein theballast transport can be carried out largely by means of containers.

Additional advantages of the invention become apparent from thedependent claims and the drawing description.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference toan embodiment represented in the drawing.

A cleaning vehicle 1, shown in a side view, for cleaning ballast 2 has avehicle frame 5 which is mobile on a track 4 by means of on-trackundercarriages 3. Crane rails 8 extending in a longitudinal direction 7of the vehicle are provided for mobility of a gantry crane 6. Ballast 2is stored in a plurality of containers 11 designed for placement onloading areas 9 of adjoining rail vehicles 10.

Forming a discharge station 12 for discharging the soiled ballast 2, areceiving end 13 of a first conveyor belt 14 is provided, the latterhaving a discharge end 16 positioned above a screening installation 15.

Forming a loading station 17 for discharging the cleaned ballast 2 intoan empty container 11, a discharge end 18 of a second conveyor belt 19is provided, the receiving end 20 of which is associated with an outletopening 21 of the screening installation 15.

The loading- and discharge stations 17, 12, arranged one behind theother with regard to the longitudinal direction 7 of the vehicle, arearranged between two on-track undercarriages 3, while the screeningplant 15 is positioned at an end 22 of the of the vehicle frame 5. Thereceiving end 13 of the first conveyor belt 14 and the loading station17 are each arranged underneath the vehicle frame 5 between the twocrane rails 8.

The screening plant 15 is designed as a star screen 23 having amultitude of rotatable cleaning rollers 24 arranged one following theother in the longitudinal direction 7 of the vehicle. Alternatively,other known embodiments are also possible, of course.

The mode of operation of the cleaning vehicle 1, or the method forcleaning ballast 2 which can be carried out with said vehicle, will nowbe described briefly. In this, the described transport manoeuvres of thecontainers 11 are carried out by means of the gantry crane 6. Soiledballast 2 is transported in a container 11 from the loading area9—containing a multitude of containers 11—of the vehicle 10 to adischarge station 12 and dumped there. By means of the first conveyorbelt 14, the ballast is transported to the screening installation 15.The emptied container 11 is placed on a loading station 17 and filled bymeans of the second conveyor belt 19 with ballast 2 cleaned in thescreening installation 15. Subsequently, the filled container 11 istransported back to the loading area 9 and placed on the same. The cycleis then repeated anew.

1. A cleaning vehicle (1) for cleaning ballast (2) of a track (4),including a rail vehicle (10) and a screening installation (15) providedfor ballast cleaning, comprising the following features: a) a gantrycrane (6) mobile on the rail vehicle (10) via crane rails (8) in alongitudinal direction (7) of the vehicle is provided for the transportof the ballast (2) stored in containers (11), b) forming a dischargestation (12) for discharging the soiled ballast (2), a receiving end(13) of a first conveyor belt (14) is provided, the latter having adischarge end (16) positioned above the screening installation (15), c)forming a loading station (17) for discharging the cleaned ballast (2)into an empty container (11), a discharge end (18) of a second conveyorbelt (19) is provided, the receiving end (20) of which is associatedwith an outlet opening (21) of the screening installation (15).
 2. Thecleaning vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the loading- anddischarge stations (17, 12), arranged one behind the other with regardto the longitudinal direction (7) of the vehicle, are arranged betweentwo on-track undercarriages (3), while the screening plant (15) ispositioned at an end (22) of a vehicle frame (5).
 3. The cleaningvehicle according to claim 1, wherein the receiving end (13) of thefirst conveyor belt (14) and the discharge end (18) of the secondconveyor belt (19) are each arranged underneath the vehicle frame (5)between the crane rails (8).
 4. The cleaning vehicle according to claim1, wherein the screening plant (15) is designed as a star screen (23)having a multitude of rotatable cleaning rollers (24) arranged onefollowing the other in the longitudinal direction (7) of the vehicle. 5.A method for cleaning ballast of a track on a rail vehicle (10),comprising the following features: a) the soiled ballast (2) istransported in a container (11) from a loading area (9)—containing amultitude of containers (11)—of the rail vehicle (10) to a dischargestation (12), is discharged onto a conveyor belt (14), and istransported by the same to a screening installation (15), b) the emptiedcontainer (11) is placed on a loading station (17), is filled withballast (2) cleaned by the screening installation (15), and issubsequently transported back to the loading area (9) and placed on thesame, after which the cycle according to features a) and b) is repeated.